Guatemalan farmers for the most part are Hoe Farmers, I cannot remember ever seeing tractors here, but there may be some in flatter areas. If you study human development, there are different levels, something like:

Subsistence Farming
I would estimate that roughly 50 percent of the planet is farmed with hoes, which is often called subsistence farming. I used to think this was sad, I am now happy when I see subsistence farming because it is 100 percent employment and give higher levels of pride to the farmer.

Subsistence farmers generally only grow enough to feed their family, they are self-employed, while they may eat some of their crops, they also sell some for other products. It is difficult for them to lose their jobs; they are employed through economic lows and highshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsistence_agriculture

I believe many tourist feel sorry for these farmers because they never done hard work in their life, and realize they are too lazy to do this type of work; this creates havoc on the planet with inappropriate and irresponsible behavior by the tourist.

This is a view from the farm plot as it looks out over Lake Atitlan here in Guatemala. I consider this one of the most beautiful lakes on the planet, where I am standing is one of the most beautiful and wonderful place I have ever encountered in my 12 years and 88 countries of travel, this is truly a place on top of the world.

As I understood Himie, this is not string beans; he is growing Black, Red, and White beans, and some Onions. I asked about Peanuts, but he said they were grown in other locations.

The farmer is using water that is coming from a small stream or crick that has started at the top of this small mountain to irrigate his plots. Each Terrace or Tablon is not level, this water more or less flows around the plots when he diverts or splashes the water onto the plots. He had a bag of top soil that he was spreading on top of the existing to plot to help new onion seeds to germinate.

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